InfoAnda - Haiti's cultural heritage faces quake extinction

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Scotland rules on Lockerbie bomber on Thursday | International | | 20 August 2009
Taiwan believes China may cut missiles aimed at it | International | | 4 January 2009
Afghan militants holds talks in Maldives | 21 May 2010

Hollywood's domestic box office tops $10 billion | 23 December 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Haiti's cultural heritage faces quake extinction

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Asia Pacific World Haiti's cultural heritage faces quake extinction AFP - Sunday, March 21 Send IM Story Print Interior view of the destroyed Episcopal Cathedral Sainte-Trinite in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The cathedral was destroyed in the January 12 earthquake. Recorded history dates back to 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the island -- which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic -- and named it La Isla Espanola, which became Hispaniola. PORT-AU-PRINCE (AFP) - – Brilliant colors shine through the ruins of the Cathedrale de la Sainte-Trinite, fragments of wonderful murals that were the climax of Haiti's artistic explosion 60 years ago. For gallery owner Toni Monnin, the loss of irreplaceable frescoes by the first generation of Haitian master painters is the most powerful symbol of the cultural devastation wrought by the January 12 earthquake. "There was this explosion of art in Haiti after the Second World War like nowhere else in the world," explained Monnin, a native Texan. "It is a country of painters and artists and it is a phenomenon that exists only here in Haiti." In the capital Port-au-Prince, a teeming mass of humanity fights to recover from unimaginable horror, but the backdrop is a wall of paintings, vibrant colors splashing canvas and somehow masking the smell of death and loss. Haiti could lay claim to having a greater concentration of artists than any other country, but beyond them, it is the buildings, the history, the entire cultural heritage of the Caribbean nation that is at risk. "What we have been trying to do with the minister of culture is raise awareness of the need to protect the heritage because once it is gone, it is gone," Teeluck Bhuwanee, head of the UNESCO mission in Haiti, told AFP. Recorded history dates back to 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the island -- which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic -- and named it La Isla Espanola, which became Hispaniola. Artifacts from pre-Columbian times, the era of the Taino Indians, survived the quake largely unscathed at the National Museum of Art, fortuitously located underground. But many important sites, born out of Haiti's compelling history of slavery and revolution, were not so fortunate, and Bhuwanee fears culture has been forgotten in the government's grand reconstruction plan. "In Port-au-Prince, there are about 30 sites that have been identified as really in danger of total destruction or total extinction. Two of them have already been razed," he said. The capital is a graveyard of fallen cathedrals, libraries and cultural sites. Invaluable private collections were also decimated by the quake. Despite the extent of the loss, the word culture is absent from the draft Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) drawn up by the government in conjunction with the international community. "We've been fighting to get the PDNA to include culture but when the executive summary came out, there was not a single line on culture, not a single dollar for the re-foundation of culture in this country," Bhuwanee said. There is an urgent need to protect damaged sites, many of which have been pillaged or, like the Eglise Saint Louis Roi de France, totally razed by the bulldozers that cleared the way for the capital to function again. Haiti can lay claim, as the first black country to gain independence, in 1804, to being at the root of universal human rights and countless documents attesting to those fights and struggles may also have perished. The country, however, has more pressing concerns -- hundreds of thousands of quake survivors are still at risk, perched in camps on treacherous hillsides that could slide away into the abyss when the heavy rains come. Sam Worthington, president of InterAction, which coordinates the work of dozens of US NGOs and their almost one billion dollars of American public money, has a clear priority list. "It is the ability of children to learn to read, it's the ability of an individual to walk through a camp and be safe and not face violence or rape, it's the ability of someone to be able to set up their small business and get back to their life before the quake," he said. But he admitted that culture, too, is important. If properly marketed, Haiti's heritage could be a tool to create jobs, to stir interest, to help get the country of almost 10 million people back on its feet again, according to Bhuwanee. "We are saying 'Let's do something, let's make culture at the root of the development of the country,'" he said. Walking the ruins of Sainte-Trinite, it is easy to see this as a pipe dream, but one wall symbolizes hope, stubbornly standing against all odds and signed by the last living first generation artist, 87-year old Prefete Duffaut. Monnin offered a short history. She spoke of Americans, DeWitt Peters and Selden Rodman, who discovered local talent like Hector Hyppolite, a voodoo priest who painted with chicken feathers and household paint. Rodman's vision produced this amazing collaboration on the walls of Saint-Trinite, a work that put Haitian art on the map -- soon art lovers from all over the world needed a Duffaut or a Hyppolite to grace their collections. "Works by the first generation artists are irreplaceable," Monnin said, sadness in her eyes as she recalled the horrors of the fateful day. So galled was Monnin by the plight of the 50 or so artists she works with that the longtime Port-au-Prince resident opened up another side of her FONDAM foundation, set up in 2004 to battle deforestation, to help them. "Ninety percent of these guys have lost either their entire homes, part of their homes, one or two or more family members," she said. "They didn't have any works left, they lost them all." So how badly was Haitian culture damaged by the quake? "It has lost everything," she said. "All of the major institutions, not only paintings, the archives, the national library, all of these things were ruined, they were wiped out." Dismissing vain attempts to clamp down on trafficking -- where would they find experts who know the difference between a Hyppolite and Haitian street art, she scoffed -- Monnin suddenly hit upon an idea. "I don't know if it's UNESCO's job, but what people should be concentrating on are things like reconstructing the church at Saint-Trinite," she said. "If you can't find the pieces of the mural there is enough photographic evidence. Have somebody repaint them, we have enough artists. Not copying, do it in the same spirit. Now that would be a fabulous project." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Tang premieres new film after reported China ban AP - Monday, March 22 Ang Lee protege Tang returns to red carpet AP - Monday, March 22 Couch potatoes: New York plants go to the movies AFP - Saturday, March 20 US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Reuters - Saturday, March 20 'A dad like any other,' son says of drug lord Escobar AFP - Saturday, March 20 News Search Top Stories Hundreds evacuated after Iceland volcano erupts UN chief slams Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip Fish and chips celebrates 150 years as a British classic GM Daewoo recalls 58,000 vehicles in S.Korea: government British Airways strike bites but passengers fly More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Fish and chips celebrates 150 years as a British classic 'Red Shirts' take to streets to win over Thai capital British Airways strike bites but passengers fly Hollywood stars help prevent suicide after Twitter alert British boy receives pioneering stem cell surgery More Most Viewed » Chile quake moved Earth's axis, shortened days: scientist Experts confirm asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs 'Britain's Fritzl' raped daughters for over 25yrs Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya Common weed-killer chemically castrates frogs: study More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 21 March 2010
Afghanistan says Taliban arrests had 'negative impact'
British Airways strike grounds flights but passengers fly
Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank: medics
Russian 'Day of Anger' rallies tests Putin's rule
Magnitude-5.6 quake near Guantanamo, Cuba |
Allawi leads Iraq PM in vote count: results
UN chief backs Palestinian state in visit to West Bank
Iran president suggests referendum on subsidy cuts |
ACORN On Verge Of Bankruptcy; 50% Of State Chapters Disband
Thai political deadlock after red street parade
Taliban adjust, wage bomb attacks in Afghan town
Huge sandstorm covers Beijing, turns sky orange
Underdog Japan hoping to suprise US in hockey final
Strong quake hits off Papua New Guinea: geologists
Sandstorms blanket Beijing in yellow dust
Sharks on the menu at wildlife trade meet
One dead, six hurt in Philippines clashes: security forces
Myanmar state paper blasts election law critics
Thai opposition leaders demand talks with PM
Chinese media hits out at Google, alleges intelligence links
Music biz insiders say Sony-Jackson deal makes sense |
Ellen, Web site give gay teen $30,000 in prom flap |
Couch potatoes: New York plants go to the movies
Afghan drug cartels squeeze poppy farmers
Fish and chips celebrates 150 years as a British classic
Thai protest talks scheduled; resolution unlikely |
"Red Steel 2" videogame an homage to spaghetti westerns
U.N.'s Ban in West Bank pushes for peace talks
UN chief backs Palestinian state on Mideast mission
British polls point to hung parliament
Madagascar connected to EASSy fiber optic cable
Colombian journalist shot and killed |
Moscow fire chief killed in blaze
China to respond if hit by U.S. trade sanctions: MOFCOM |
Huge pro-Berlusconi rally in Rome
GM Daewoo recalls 58,000 vehicles in S.Korea: government
Germany okay with bilateral EU aid to Greece: minister
Suspected explosive found on plane in India: police |
Sarkozy faces heavy defeat in French regional poll |
Tadic absent as Balkan leaders meet on EU integration
No evidence of mine collapse in Sierra Leone town |
Australia's Rudd loses support in state elections |
Midair Plane Collision Leaves Three Dead
Anti-war protesters take to streets, defy US indifference
US House to vote on Obama's historic health plan
Top climate officials urge progress at Mexico summit
Fargo calm, confident as Red River completes rise
Researchers: Acne Drug Found To Be Effective In HIV Treatment
Fox Denies "Glee" Stage Adaptation
Thousands rally to pull troops from 2 war zones
Rosie O'Donnell Signs Talk Show Deal For 2011
U.S. Democrats say they have votes to pass healthcare
"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" To Include Paris Hilton's Aunts
GM Daewoo to recall 58,000 vehicles in S.Korea: government
China may report trade deficit in March: minister
Bangladesh too cheap for comfort for some brands
S.Korea sees March trade surplus bigger than Feb
China says trade deficit likely in March
Japan planning 14 nuclear plants: report
GM S.Korea unit recalls 60,000 Cruze, Captiva models
US currency battle with China underscores global concerns
Thousands bid farewell to former Nepal PM Koirala
S.Korea Feb business start/failure rate at 7-mo high
Japan local vote plan for foreigners triggers backlash
Two Thai blasts after huge anti-govt parade: police
Philippines hunts Indonesian training militants
Nearly 100 kgs ivory seized in Vietnam: report
Thai protest talks scheduled; resolution unlikely
Pakistan kidnappers 'threatened to chop up UK boy'
Watermelon Jam Causes New Zealand Motorway To Close
Swarm Of Bees Attack 3, Critically Injures 2 Women
Woman Sees Virgin Mary At Door
Phone Call To Mom Brings Drug Trafficking Charge For Inmate
Drunk Man Fined For Exposing Himself To Female Officer
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Australia's Rudd loses support in state elections
Indonesians protest Israel settlements
Sarkozy facing rebuke as France votes
Netanyahu stands firm on Jerusalem before U.S. visit |
China state media accuses Google of political agenda
Darfur donor meeting eyeing $2 billion opens in Cairo
Sarkozy faces heavy defeat in French regional poll |
Israeli troops kill two Palestinians in West Bank
No Israeli concessions on Jerusalem: Netanyahu
U.N.'s Ban in Gaza, calls on Israel to end closures |
UN chief slams Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip
U.S. actions contrary to desire for better ties: Iran |
Second Palestinian youth dies after shot in West Bank
Medical Examiner Confirms Two More Suspected Suicides At Cornell University
UN chief urges Israel to lift Gaza blockade
Volcano erupts in Iceland, hundreds flee |
Iraq PM Maliki calls for vote recount: statement
Virginia Executes Convicted Murderer By Electric Chair
Lawyer For Teacher Who Let Cats Starve To Death Says It Wasn't Intended
Afghans celebrate new year with hopes for peace
Vatican must take abuse more seriously: Swiss abbot |
UN chief crosses into Gaza for talks
Fifteen States Sue EPA Over Greenhouse Gas Decision
UK parties battle over economy as election nears |
NJ Police Aided By Social Media Arrest Teen In Wal-Mart Bias Case
Iraq's Maliki asks for recount, warns of violence |
Afghan VP voices hope for peace as bombs kill 12
Explosives found aboard India plane
China vows to hit back if targeted by U.S. on yuan
Former Interior Secretary Udall dies at age 90
Kenyan runners sweep Taipei marathon
Taiwan's president to visit 6 Pacific nations
China warns US against yuan sanctions
China state media accuses Google of political agenda |
Explosions rock Afghan New Year, kill 2 civilians
Activist charged over sat phone can leave India
Chinese media say Google is politicizing dispute
GM's SKorean unit recalling nearly 60,000 vehicles
China to begin trial of 4 Rio Tinto employees
India faces more rate hikes: analysts
Tang premieres new film after reported China ban
Ang Lee protege Tang returns to red carpet
US gun rights advocates pack heat with pride
Paris retrospective for fashion genius Saint Laurent
Lebanon's liquid treasure is just trickling away
Haiti's cultural heritage faces quake extinction
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01